Altered Earth: New Exhibit in Schaefer International Gallery, Aug. 27 – Oct. 19, 2024

Maui Arts & Cultural Center presents Altered Earth in Schaefer International Gallery, an invitational exhibition featuring ten contemporary artists whose work explores the medium of clay and earth-derived materials through a diverse breadth of processes. The invited artists are Clayton Amemiya, Jake Boggs, Jisoo Boggs, Rachelle Dang, Roberta Griffith, Codie M. King, David Kuraoka, Jenna Macy, Sarah Metz, and Brad Evan Taylor. The exhibition runs from Aug. 27 through Oct. 19. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Gallery Director Jonathan Yukio Clark, who curated the exhibition, states, “The arts community in Hawaiʻi shows a natural affinity for the ceramic field, with deep appreciation for how its craft origins relate to contemporary practices. There is a great breadth of fascinating ceramic and clay-related work coming from artists who are connected to Hawaiʻi – work that traces back to the legacy of trailblazing artists who emerged in the 20th century such as Claude Horan and Toshiko Takaezu and continues to this day with vibrant momentum.”

The invited artists were encouraged to think about the potentiality of clay and related mediums by experimenting with innovative approaches that complement their concepts, and by activating the surrounding space with the dimensionality of their work. The multi-generational group of artists represents a variety of established backgrounds in exhibitions, education, and informed skillsets, harboring distinct takes that employ different clays, firing processes, and surface treatments to arrive at their finished pieces.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Clayton Amemiya first began making pottery while in Okinawa in the 1970s, eventually traveling with his mentor to Hilo and together building an anagama kiln, which he continues to use today, involving an intensive wood-firing process that extends up to 100 hours. His forms evoke the patterns of lava and sand prominent in his surroundings while harkening to Japanese medieval pottery.

Jake Boggs is originally from Kentucky, earning an MFA from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and a BFA from Eastern Kentucky University with concentrations in ceramics. He often explores the vessel for its bridging of aesthetic form and integrated utility, with vibrant or unconventional surfaces that recall the long lineage of ceramics as a surface for adornment.

Jisoo Boggs was born in Jeju, South Korea, with the experience of the natural marvels of her home island informing her early ceramic work. She pursued an MFA from Hongik University and BFA from Konkuk University with a consistent focus in ceramics, as well as an M.Ed from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Since relocating to Hawai‘i, her work has evolved to reflect the uniqueness of her surroundings.

Rachelle Dang was born in Honolulu and is based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a multi-disciplinary artist and a NYSCA/NYFA Fellow in Craft/Sculpture (2023) whose studio practice examines interwoven histories and complex environmental connections, bringing together historical facts, botanical research, generational memory, and poetic allusion. She received her BA from Wellesley College and her MFA from Hunter College, City University of New York, and she currently teaches as Critic at Yale School of Art.

Roberta Griffith taught as a professor of ceramics and drawing at Hartwick College for over four decades and is based in both Otego, New York, and Kaua‘i. After receiving her MFA from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 1960, she was awarded a Fulbright grant to study with ceramist Josep Llorens i Artigas in Spain. Her ceramic work varies from mixed-media installations to hand-built sculptures, often evoking her associations of places and their cultural manifestations, with an underlying theme reflecting mortality, universal shortcomings, and both natural and man-made disasters.

Codie M. King received an MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1986 and a BFA through the Program in Artistry at Boston University in 1984. After over two decades as the Art Director at Wailoa Center in Hilo, she is now dedicated full-time to her studio work. Her extensive background in ceramics has informed her recent explorations in sculpture, where she combines earth-derived and synthetic materials into composite mixtures that she casts, shapes, and polishes.

David Kuraoka taught at San Francisco State University for more than 40 years and was head of the ceramics program for more than two decades, before retiring in 2009 and relocating back to his home island of Kaua‘i. He holds an MA and BA from San Jose State University, and has gained recognition for his research and development in Americanizing raku, where he subjected his simple elegant forms to ancient open pit firing. At the age of 35, he was named A Living Treasure of Hawai‘i, and continues to produce work in his signature crisp minimal style.

Jenna Macy is an interdisciplinary artist specializing in interactive ceramics, sculpture, and video performance with research-based practices. Born in Honolulu, they earned an MFA in Ceramics from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a BFA in Ceramics from Maryland Institute College of Art. They received the Windgate Fellowship (2016) and the Career Advancement Fellowship (2022) from the Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design and currently teach as a lecturer at UH Mānoa.

Sarah Metz was born in Buffalo, New York and received a BFA in sculpture from Alfred University in 1983. Since moving to Maui, she has taught ceramics for over two decades at local schools and art centers. Her ceramic work ranges from whimsically glazed utilitarian pieces to naturalistic sculptural forms that convey her interpretations of endemic Hawaiian species, including forest birds and kāhuli tree snails, with raw finishes derived from pit firing.

Brad Evan Taylor’s upbringing oscillated between Salt Lake City, Utah and Evergreen, Colorado, with his experiences of regional landscapes and geology having a profound impact on his sculptural work. He received an MFA from Alfred University and a BFA from the University of Utah, and he currently serves as Professor of Ceramics and Department Chair at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He explores the phenomenological potential of massive slabs of clay in a characteristic style that mingles fragile qualities with emphatic gestures.

Schaefer International Gallery exhibits are open from Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and also before select Castle Theater shows. Admission is free. This exhibition is presented by Maui Arts & Cultural Center and supported in part by County of Maui – Office of Economic Development.

RELATED PUBLIC EVENTS

Many Ways of Clay – Artist Walkthrough (Sunday, Aug. 25 at 11 a.m.) Visitors will have the chance to catch a first glimpse of the exhibit and hear from each of the artists in this casual walkthrough, where they will share unique insights into their distinct techniques and concepts in ceramic work. FREE! No RSVP required.

Observe & Play Family Day (Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.) Families are invited to visit the gallery and see the exhibit, then get creative (and a little messy!) by experimenting with various forms of small sculpture and clay stations. FREE! No RSVP required.